Kot Diji and the origins of the Indus urban tradition

Record summary

F. A. Khan's excavations at Kot Diji documented a fortified pre-Mature-Harappan settlement beneath or alongside later occupation. The site's distinctive ceramics and defensive architecture became important to models of cultural development before the Indus urban phase. Kot Diji is therefore a useful comparative lead for examining whether urbanization resulted from local evolution, migration, interaction or several regional processes. The unresolved issues include the exact chronology of the Kot Diji phase, the relationship between its material culture and Mature Harappan assemblages, and whether the fortification had defensive, administrative or symbolic purposes.